Unlocked IP4 for international travel?

[nwbusa]

This might be a dumb question, but here goes... I live in Canada but travel weekly to the US, and occasionally overseas. I'm going to upgrade from my 2G iPhone tomorrow, and am trying to decide if I should shell out the $900 or so for an unlocked 32GB phone, or sign up as a new customer with one of the cell phone companies and buy a subsidized iPhone.

I'm thinking if I buy the unlocked phone, I can be contract-free in Canada and get a pre-paid SIM when I travel to avoid the roaming fees, etc. I know nobody can do a cost-benefit analysis for me, but is the basic logic sound?

 

[ToroidalZeus]

Buying a unlock phone outright only makes sense if you don't plan on keeping a 'primary' account active. Since you are always going to have a Canadian Number, it doesn't make any sense buying an unlocked phone because you could just buy it subsidized and then have that carrier unlock it so you could use it in the US or other countries.

 

[nwbusa]

Buying a unlock phone outright only makes sense if you don't plan on keeping a 'primary' account active. Since you are always going to have a Canadian Number, it doesn't make any sense buying an unlocked phone because you could just buy it subsidized and then have that carrier unlock it so you could use it in the US or other countries.

Hmmm... will the Canadian carriers unlock a iPhone bought on contract, before the end of the contract period? If so, then your advice makes sense to me.

 

[ToroidalZeus]

Hmmm... will the Canadian carriers unlock a iPhone bought on contract, before the end of the contract period? If so, then your advice makes sense to me.

depends on the carrier, of course you could always wait a few weeks/months for the software unlock and just use that.

 

[Hutch1]

Canadian carriers won't unlock them at all, before or after the contract ends.

 

[nwbusa]

Well, that will be the deciding factor then. Guess I'll have to investigate to see which (if any) carriers will unlock the phone at the time of purchase.

 

[nwbusa]

Canadian carriers won't unlock them at all, before or after the contract ends.

Alrighty then... so, back to buying the unlocked phone!